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PEEKSKILL, N.Y.  City officials are exploring their options after the citys Planning Board approved a drug treatment clinic near the Cortlandt border in June.

Mayor Mary Foster told residents at the July 16 Common Council meeting that Common Council members were not aware of the Planning Boards approval of a methadone clinic at 3 Corporate Drive. The clinic is intended to replace one currently operating out of the Hudson Valley Hospital Center.

Methadone
is a drug used to treat recovering heroin addicts that mitigates withdrawal symptoms. Patients are given methadone over a period of time to wean them off of heroin and are eventually weaned off of methadone as well.

An
online petition
by area residents opposing construction of the clinic has almost 30 signatures to date.

We on the council are just as surprised as those in the neighborhood, Foster said. We have questions about the zoning, and we have questions about the notification  who was notified and how did it work? Especially since the facility joins the Town of Cortlandt and whether residents were given notification as well as the town.

Acting City Manager Brian Havranek said the company looking to build the clinic, the Elmsford-based Renaissance Project Inc., did not notify those living nearby in Cortlandt of the public hearing for the clinic, so the approval was void.